Introducing the Dance Militant

Millicent Marie Johnnie

Dance Choreographer Extraordinaire

With an humble spirit and from humble beginnings Millicent Johnnie has emerged as an extremely unique individual with the ability to positively impact everything she touches. For nearly a decade now Millicent Marie Johnnie has left her fingerprint on numerous dance projects and the indelible imprint of her giving spirit on the hearts of many.

Millicent, a native of Lafayette, Louisiana asserted her inherent focus and discipline early in life, obtaining both, her BFA and MFA in Dance from the prestigious program at Florida State University. With the assets of a formal education in a field that literally summons her passion in hand, Johnnie headed off to carve her niche into the competitive and vast arena of interpretive dance. After touring as resident choreographer and rehearsal director of the Urban bush Women in New York City Johnnie headed to New Orleans where she served on the faculties at Dillard and Tulane Universities.

After several years of teaching Hip Hop and Jazz movement as a veteran staff member of the Universal Dance Association based in Memphis Tennessee, Millicent headed off to New York City to expand her reach and expose herself to the cultures necessary to develop her unique signature style.                                                              

Millicent also co-founded the Phlava Hip Hop and Jazz Dance Company based in Tallahassee, Florida and in the process earning the Prague International Dance Festival “Best Choreography” award and “First Place International Dance Title” for Hip Hop Choreography entitled “Wrath”.

Millicent’s Choreograhy has been featured on Cleo Parker-Robinson Dance, The Urban Bush Women, Hubbard Street II, The Alternate Roots Cultural Tour Uprooted: The Katrina Project, ESPN, the Prince William Network, Sunshine Network and has been presented at venues such as the Danspace project Food for Thought (NYC), Dancenow/NYC Dance Harlem and Joyce Soho Series (NYC), Kennedy Center Millennium Stage (Washington D.C.), The Yard at Lincoln Center (NYC), International Association for Blacks in Dance Conference 2000, 2001, 2002 (TX, CA, D.C.),  The Houston Black Dance Festival (TX), The New Orleans Jazz Dance Project (New Orleans, LA); to name just a few.

Millicent’s talent in dance performance and choreography has afforded her the opportunity to work with celebrities such as Lou Freeman, Saddi Khali, Dominick Gheesling (Photography/Portraits for People Photorgrahy, Austin Photography and Leo Marshal to name a few.

Johnnie’s base is quite expansive, being fluent is the rhythms and movement languages of Hip-Hop, house, Classical Ballet, Caribbean Dance, West Africa, Jazz and Zydeco ; presenting a non- exhaustive list.

In an interview in October of 2011 Millicent said, “Being Creole, everything I know is a reflection of the mixing of ideas and cultures, so naturally I do that in my work.”

Millicent’s innate ability to blend cultures and styles found its perfect match when she joined forces with Haitian American composer and violinist Daniel Bernard Roumain. The mergence of Johnnie’s choreography and the music of Roumain produced an onstage masterpiece entitled “Symphony for the Dance Floor.” 

“When I first heard Daniel’s music, I thought, this is who I am as an artist,” Johnnie said. “We represent the blending of the classical with neo-folklore, the urban, the avant-garde; this textured street energy and also a sense of tradition. The music reminds me of home.” said Millicent.

Johnnie has the unique ability to take music and song, style and culture, passion and elegance and meld them together to create something so powerful and impactful that it leaves the most indelible of impressions.

Millicent is more than talent, she is more than a pretty face, more than a dancer; she is a master of her craft, a once in a generation superstar that is poised to take the entertainment world by storm. This industry has seen exceptional talent come and go with little or no impact made. We have witnessed more crash and burns that we care to remember. One thing the industry lacks in a significant way is staying power. You can find this illusive quality in Millicent Johnnie in abundance to boot.

With all that she has accomplished in her illustrious career, one of the areas she has had the greatest impact in is dealing with youth. If you question her ability to impact youth simply speak to any of the young people she has encountered and you will soon see that her passion is infectious.

”I love milli...she came to my school and i was so appreciative to what she taught me and i learned so much. she is so creative, earthy and a great teacher. much love!!” Brica, 15.

Millicent Johnnie has not even scratched the surface of what she is to become. She is an innovator and creative inspiration. She is the voice of our youth without speaking a word. She veracity packaged in beauty. As Millicent seeks to expand her reach and broaden her influence more and more people will have the pleasure of experiencing a piece of heaven.